Bell-cord attachment



No Model.) f 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. A. LA TTT/LR.- BELL CORD ATTACHMENT. No.443,396. Patented Dec. 23, 1890.

W/TNESSES: /NVENTO/.'

A TTOHNE YS ma nomma versus co., #now-umu., wAsummcm. n. c4

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

1 G. A. LA FEVER.

BELL CORD ATTACHMENT.

No. 443,396. Patented Dec.-r23,1890.

Pff-X a B www ATTORNEYS (No Model.)

` 3 Sheets-Sheet4 3.. '(11. A. LA FEVER.

BELL CORD ATTACHMENT. No. 443,396. Patented Dec. 23, 1890.

A TTOHNE YS UNITED STAT-ns' PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. LA FEVER, OF SELKIRK, NEV YORK.

BELL-CORD ATTACHMENT.

SPECI.FICA'J`.`IO1\T forming part of Letters atent No. 443,396, dated December 23, 1890.

Application filed December 12, 1889. Serial No. 333,447. (No model.)

To all Awhom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE A. LA FEVER, of Selkirk, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and linproved Bell-Cord Attachment, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which- Figure lis a side elevation of my improved bell-cord attachment. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view. Fig. 4. is a side elevation, and Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of a modified form of my improvement. Fig. G is a side elevation of a form adapted to bell-cords passing outthrough the car-roof. Fig. 7 is a xnodified form of the same. Fig. S is an enlarged view of the clampingand cutting mechanism. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section of cord-cutting mechanism arranged to be operated by the separation of the cars, and Fig. l0 represents cord-cutting apparatus adapted to freightcars.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. f

The object of my invention is to furnish mechanism for attachment to passenger-cars of railways for clamping and cutting the bellcordA when the cars separate accidentally, thereby preventing the cord from being drawn rapidly through the cars and injuring the passengers.

My invention consists in the combination of a clamping devicey for holding the cord, and a knife or chisel and chisel-operating mechanism for cutting the cord, all as willbe hereinafter more fully described.

In the form shown in Figs. l, 2, and S a guide A, attached to the end B of a car, is provided with spring side pieces a., having longitudinal slots l) and furnished at their extremities with inwardly-proj ectin g beveled catches a. The side pieces d are connected by a cross-piece c. Between t-he said side pieces c is Vplaced a follower d, having lugs e; which slide in the slots b. The cross-bar c is apertured, and the bell-cord C passes loosely through the end of the car, through the cross-baro, and through the follower d. Between the cross-bar c and the follower d is placed a spiral spring f, which tends to push the follower cl away from the cross-.bar c. Upon the cord C is placed a clamp g.

Te the end B of the car is attached an ear 72, to which is pivoted a chisel z', having on the back thereof an oblongloop j. Toa'stud 76, projecting upwardly from the follower (l, is

pivoted a connecting-rod Z, the end of which is furnished with a pin passing through the loop j. With this construction, when` the bell-cord C is drawn forward in the direction indicated by the arrow, the clamp'g passes between the catches a and is brought into contact with the follower d, thus moving the follower d forward, causing the connectingrod Z to push the chisel 'L' downward, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to cut the cord. After the release of the cord it is prevented from being drawn back by the engagement of the catches a with the clamp g, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the form shown in Figs. et and 5 upon the right-angled rod m, attached to the carroof D, is placed a slide n, which carries a swiveled screw o, upon which is placedaloop p, the said loop being threaded, so as to engage the thread of the screw o. To the lower end of the said screw is attached a serrated head q, and to the screw o is secured a lever 1, the free end of which projects through an eye s, carried by the adjacent car. To the end of the car is attached one end of a spiral spring t, the other end of which is connected with the lever 7'. The said spring t tends t0 draw the lever i' to one side, so that when the said lever is released from the eye s by the separation of the cars the spring t turns the screw o and causes the serrated head q toengage the bell-cord C and clamp the same. To the-free extremity of the rodm is pivoted a chisel t', which is connected with the slide n by a connecting-rod Z. A spiral spring f is placed between the slide n and the collar c', near the end of the rod m. The said spring f tends to keep the slide at the inner end of the rod fm. lVhen the cars separate, the lever 9 fr, being released from the eye s, is drawn to one side, as already described, causing the screw o to clamp the bell-cord C', when the slide n is drawn forward with the cord until the connecting-rod Z pushes down the chisel t" and brings it into engagement with the cord, whichrests upon the angled arm u, projecting from the loop p. After the cord is cut the end which is clamped by the screw ois retained in the loop 19 and prevented from f1ying back through the car.

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In the form shown in Fig. (3 the frame E, formed of the horizontal bars h and vertical bars d', is furnished with the rollers e,whieh are supported by the rod F, attached to the end of the car near the roof. In a slotof one of the bars d is placed a slotted and serrated.

wedgef, which is held in place by a pin g passing through the slotted bar d and through the slot of t-he wedge. Abar G passes through an eye s', attached to the edge of the car-roof, and carries on its outer extremity a rod 7i', between which and the eye s is placed a spiral springt/V, which surrounds the said rod G. The inner end of this rod is bent upwardly and pivoted to the wedge f. To t-he forward end of the rod F is pivoted a chisel f2, and on the said rod is placed a slide cil, which is con nect'ed with the chisel t'2 by the connectingrod Z9. In front of the slide c2 and surrounding the rod F there is a spiral springf, which presses the slide c2 inwardly. Between the right-angled arm of the rod G and the bar Zi is placed a spiral spring mf', which holds apart the frame E and the right-angled end of the rod G during the normal working of t-he apparatus. As long as the train is properly connected the cord is `free to move back and forth either way; butas soon as the cars separate the plate 7a. is released and the spring j pushes it forward, carrying forward the serrated wedge f', and, through the medium of the spring, moving forward the. frame E until the said frame strikes the slide e?, when the further movement of the rod G causes the serrated wedge f to come into contact with the cord C and clamp it firmly in the frame E, when the said frame will be drawn forward with the cord, and by contact with the slide e? will push down the chisel 2, by means of the connecting-rod Z2, thus causing the chisel to cut the cord.

In the form shown in Figs. T and S the construction is similar to that already described. Upon the rod F is placed a frame E', which is open upon one side to receive the cord C. In the said frame is arranged a slotted scrrated wedgc f upon the pin g', and in the frame is guided a rod G', to the forward end of which is pivoted a chisel ii. link oreonnecting-rod Z2 is pivotally connected with the free end of the chisel 1Fs and also with the frame E. Upon the rod G is placed a spiral springf, which abuts against the frame E and presses againsta collar e, attached to the rod G. The serrated wedgcf engages the bellcord t", and when the frame E', and the parts connected therewith, is drawn to the extreme limit of its travel in the direction of the arrow the end of the rod G strikes the butter II, attached to the car-roof, and arrests its inotion` while the frame E continues to move on until, through the action of the link Z3, the chisel T2 is made to sever the bell-cord.

In the form shown in Fig. 9 the frame E is arranged to move along the rod ma, which is suspended from the car-roof, and the said rod m."z is provided with a buffer Il for engagingl the end of the rod i', as in Figs. 7 and The frame l5', and parts carried thereby, is the same as that already described, with the exception of a link f3, which is pivoted to the lower part of the said frame li and pivotally connected with the larger end ot the serrated wedge j". The same end of the wedge f is also pivoted to one end of a rod G?, the other end of which projects through an eye S2, attached to the edge of thc car-roof, and is provided with a head 7i?, which is adapted to touch the edge of the roof of the adjacent ear. Upon the rod Gf, between the head h2 and the eye Si, is placed a spiral spring J2, which tends to press the head 7t-out\\'ard, but is prevented from doing so by the contact of the head h2 with the roof of the adjacent car. Then the cars separate, the spring J2 is allowed to act, carrying forward the rod G2, thus moving the wedge j so as to bring it into engagement with the cord C', when the frame E' will be carried forward by the cord until the rod G strikes the bntfer 1I, when the chisel 'i2 will be moved downward so as to sever the cord.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. l the rod m is supported above the freight-car roof by standards nr". In this case the construction of the frame n is the same as that shown in Fig. l. The screw o in the present case is provided with a pinion o3, which is engaged by a rack o2, carried by the angled rod lr'. The said rod i" extends through a guide s and is pivotally connected with the lever 7L, which is fulcrumed on an arm h5, attached to the car-roof. A spring j surrounds the rod i", one end thereof being secured to the rod, the other end abut-ting against the guide s". The springj" tends to push the rod "l" andlever hi outward. The lower end of the lever 7i is restrained by the adjacent car; but when the cars are separated, the lever h being liberated, the springjt acts, moving forward the rod i", causing the serrated. head q of the screw to clamp the cord C', when the frame n will be drawn forward with the cord until the said frame, striking the slide m', moves the said slide, and the slide, being connected with thc chisel L" by the lidk Z, moves the said chisel downward, causing it to cut the cord.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In abell-cord attach m ent, the coinbin ation of a clamping device for engaging the bell cord, a pivoted chisel, and a link connected with the chisel at a point between its pivot and free end, holding it inclined toward the path of the cord, substantially as described.

2. In a bell-cord attachment, the combina tion, with the frame E', of the serrated wedge f', the p ivoted' chisel i2, the spring-pressed rod G', the link. Z2, and the buffer II, substantially as specified.

GEORGE A. LA FEVER.

Witnesses:

W. N. GILL, .l onN Tonen.

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